There's a Mouse in the House (Finis)

 So the cats remained non-committal about the whole mouse-removal part of their job description and meanwhile I kept seeing the little critter scurry over and behind the TV. "What are we going to do?" demanded Heidi, and in response I shook my head.

"It'll come to me," I said.

Heidi knelt on the floor with a flashlight. "I see it!" she reported. It was sitting on the cables and wires in the 2 inch hole in the back of the TV stand. "Oop! There it goes!" 

The mouse had retreated through another cable pass-through into one side of the stand with a closed cabinet. I grabbed some packing tape and sealed the hole, trapping it behind the door. As the mouse explored its new situation, its increasingly panicky jumps and scampers finally attracted the attention of the cats, who were riveted to the TV stand for the rest of the night.

"At least we know where it is," I said, "and it can't get out of there. We have some time to figure it out."

An hour or so later, the solution finally came to me. "I know what to do!" I told Heidi. "We can take all the stuff off and out of the cabinet, drag it outside, and open the door. Then it's up the mouse,"

Satisfied that we had a plan, I slept soundly last night and woke this morning with determination. It would be good to organize all the devices and wires and what-not, and it would be great to be rid of the mouse. I set to work unplugging cables and dusting shelves and moving the turntable, the DVD/VHS player, the DVR, the game system, and the pair of streaming cubes. At last the cabinet was empty except for the side that held the mouse. 

Heidi and I lifted and dragged the awkward triangular-shaped piece of furniture up over the step to the dining room and then through the entryway to the front door. Snow was falling and a frigid wind blew. I convinced myself that instinct would lead the mouse to find shelter far away from this house where it was threatened and trapped.

At last we were on the front stoop and Heidi untaped the door and opened it. Her eyes widened. "It's right there!" she said and started banging on the cabinet to get it to leave. Something small and gray landed at my feet. It was a dead mouse.

"Seriously? After all that?" Heidi said. "I guess we must have scared it to death.

There's a Mouse in the House (Part 1)

 Our cat, Tibby, leapt to the top of the TV stand and pounced over to the mantle. "Don't you do it!" I warned her, for she has a history of jumping to places she shouldn't be and knocking stuff around. But there was something in her alert posture and intent gaze that suggested she had more in her sights than mayhem. Did I bring a bug in with the firewood? I guessed, and leaned over to peer at the underside of the mantle. Seeing nothing at first, my attention was drawn to a flick of a movement to my right. Something long and thin hung from the wrought iron bracket supporting the mantle. Is it a lizard? I thought, but then I saw the creature clearly-- it was a fat little field mouse! When it was clear that I saw it, the mouse dove back behind the TV, and that is where it still is. We have been telling both Tibby and Milo that this is the moment they were born for! But so far? They seem unconvinced.

Somewhere Out There

It was my friend Mary's idea to have our students create micro video presentations to celebrate the end of the essay unit. Using a popular education platform, the kids were tasked with making videos between 60 and 90 seconds showcasing their writing and ideas. Sharing their video with the group was optional, but showing their faces on it was not.

Until I hit play on the first video, I don't think I realized how much I longed to see these kids with whom I have worked so closely and yet never met in person. But after five months of faceless interaction, watching their recordings and hearing those familiar voices come from real people in real places? 

Well, it kind of choked me up a bit. 

Not Quite Camera Ready

When I checked my camera image this morning before my first class of the day, I thought I looked a bit rough. My a.m. routine has been rearranged to make time for a live yoga and meditation class, and so I have been showering at night. All well and good, but sometimes? Well, let's just say my hair doesn't always look as peaceful as I may feel after chanting. 

The kids won't care, I shrugged as I brushed my bangs back and hit admit all on the call. Imagine my surprise when the assistant principal appeared on the screen. As my evaluator, she was there to observe the class. 

Fortunately? Her focus was on my teaching and not my hair, and we spent an enjoyable 10 minutes going through the chat snap together with the kids.

Comment Cards

As part of the second quarter reflection I asked the kids in my English class the following: Tell me something about your learning style. How does our class fit you? How could our class be better for you?

As always, the insights of the students are telling. Notably, they seem generally satisfied, despite the challenges of distance learning. My colleagues and I are working hard to provide a productive learning environment, and for the most part, it seems to be working for most of the kids. 

Here's what they have to say so far:

I honestly love this class. It has a supportive writing community. I love how we get to know each other. I feel like I fit in here and nothing could make the class better.

This class fits well. The chat snaps are my favorite. But it would be better if we learned to write stories.

I learn by listening. This class fits me.

Well, I am an in person learner. I lose focus sometimes in my home because my environment distracts me.

One thing that helps me learn is music, and I work efficiently by myself. Our class fits me perfectly, I feel comfortable and happy.

My learning style is just adapting to how the teacher teaches me. I think this class fits me because I love writing.

My learning style is visual. Class would be better for me if there were more visuals, like videos.

I like this class, because my teacher gives me a lot of time and we get to pick what we want to write.

This class kind of fits my learning style, although I would like to not use breakout rooms.

Give us more time to work.

Our class is good for me because we go at the right class. It would be better if it were not virtual.

My learning style is kind of weird. I lose focus easily, but this class fits me well. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I like to work in different ways. Sometimes I like groups and sometimes not. In this class I feel like I can work alone, because I can ask a lot of questions when I need to.

I learn better when there is an example. It helps me a lot. This class would be better if we had a fun activity at the end.

I'm a good listener. This class is good.

I like our class. It's calm and fun to work in.

This class is very fun and easy, considering how much I like to write.

My learning style is to just look and listen and write stuff down. This class fits me because I'm having fun learning. The people here are nice, and there's a good balance between fun and learning.

My learning style is I just listen and if I have a question I ask it. I think how you're teaching the class is fine.

This class is calm, but at the same time noisy. I love the chat snap, it gets us to communicate together, and reply at times.

I like talking a lot. Maybe we could have more group activities.

This class stresses me out.

I think our class is fun to come to because I like writing.

I like to work on paper, and this class fits me well like that. We also practice certain stuff I need to learn.

I'm more of a visual learner. I sometimes can't understand things if I don't see an example.

I usually like to do stuff on my own. I don't like to be slowed down. This class works like that.

I am a visual learner and you provide a lot of images to help with work.

First of all I would like this class to be a little easier, please!

I work best alone.

This class helps me by giving me things to look at instead of just instructions, since it makes it a bit easier to come up with ideas.

My learning style is solo. I like working alone or 1:1 with a teacher. This class fits me because I always have that option.

I enjoy working alone, but I don't mind groups. Screenshots help me take notes.

I learn with pictures. This class fits me good.

I prefer talking to writing.

I usually record the lesson so I can take good notes later.

This is my favorite class because I love writing and I want to become an author someday. 

Would Eat Again

You gotta cook what you have, so on the menu this evening?

Bratwurst, sauerkraut, cabbage, onions, and cheese on sourdough pastry.

It was a little iffy, but the fresh oregano really pulled it all together.

And the beer didn't hurt either!

Not Optional

"May I have your ID?" the masked young woman at the health department asked. I was at one of the many many checkpoints on my way to receiving a COVID vaccine, and I was prepared, I handed her my drivers license without hesitation. "Oh!" she said. "Hello!"

I cocked my head. She looked familiar, but the mask--

"I'm Molly," she told me. "I took your class a long time ago."

I knew who she was then, and I giggled at her choice of verbs. "Sixth graders don't usually "take" English, though, do they?" I teased her. "It's more like they're forced!"

"Right," she shrugged, "but I liked it!"